Group of diverse people discussing2023

Graduate students win award to attend the Cannexus24 conference

CERIC has announced the recipients of this year’s Graduate Student Award, providing support for five graduate students to virtually attend the Cannexus24 Canada’s Career Development Conference, January 2931, 2024.

The recipients are:  

  • Jihène Hichri, PhD student, Education, Université du Québec à Montréal 
  • Joel Murphy, PhD candidate, Education, Mount Saint Vincent University 
  • Amanda Assi, MA student, Counselling Psychology, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary 
  • Daniel Trudel, MA student, École de Counseling et d’orientation, Université de Laval 
  • Annie Gourde, PhD student, École de Counseling et d’orientation, Université de Laval 

The award, presented annually to select full-time graduate students studying career counselling or career development, provides free registration to virtual Cannexus and $1,000. The Cannexus conference promotes the exchange of information and explores innovative approaches in the areas of career counselling and career and workforce development. Student poster presentations will be available for viewing during the virtual conference.    

Eligibility for the award is based on participation in CERIC’s Graduate Student Engagement Program (GSEP), which includes the submission of a one-page article on a career development topic. Read the award-winning articles and all the thought-provoking submissions on CERIC’s GSEP Corner.  

GSEP encourages engagement of Canada’s full-time graduate students (master’s or PhD level) whose academic research is in career development or a related field. Interested in submitting your application to GSEP? The next cohort of the Graduate Student Engagement Program will open for applications in mid-2024. Check back soon! 

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2023

Unlocking potential: Toward a National Advocacy Campaign for career development in Canada

Career development can have a tremendous positive impact on individuals, employers and the economy. Unfortunately, it is a significantly underused resource in Canada. To help unlock the transformative potential of career development, a group of interestholders representing a diverse cross-section of the field across Canada – with the support of CERIC and human-centred design firm Overlap Associates – is working to develop a National Advocacy Campaign.

The purpose of developing a National Advocacy Campaign is to increase the visibility, profile and impact of career development in order to improve the working lives of everyone in Canada and build a more prosperous economy and equitable society. As we reflect on a year of work moving toward this goal, we wanted to share this journey with the broader career development community and invite in more voices as we continue to develop this initiative together.

This community-led initiative is being advanced through the collective leadership of individuals from a variety of career development organizations and institutions across Canada: ASPECT BC, CACEE, CCDF, CERIC, Challenge Factory, Employment and Education Centre, First Work, John Howard Society, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Louis Riel School Division, ODEN, People for Education, SIEC, Skills for Change, The Neighbourbood Group and University of the Fraser Valley.

The idea to develop an advocacy campaign took root in CERIC’s Advocacy and Community Engagement Advisory Committee in 2022. The committee identified several opportunity areas for a campaign, which were refined at CERIC’s Cannexus conference in January 2023 through community consultation and a two-day design thinking workshop with 40 career development leaders. This led to the development of seven campaign prototypes for a potential future National Advocacy Campaign:

  • Join Me on My Journey
  • Endless Possibilities – Become Employable
  • Beyond Decent
  • CAREeRS
  • Path to Prosperity
  • Life Aesthetic
  • Career Web

This consultation also resulted in the creation of a Steering Committee and Working Group, which developed criteria for selecting a campaign prototype and interviewed interestholders to generate feedback on the campaign ideas. In October 2023, the Steering Committee selected the “Beyond Decent” campaign idea to further explore, based on an analysis of community feedback.

As the purpose of the National Advocacy Campaign is to increase the visibility, profile and impact of career development, we believe it is important for this initiative to involve, reflect and be embraced by Canada’s career development community. CERIC has engaged Overlap Associates to help integrate human-centred design – an iterative, collaborative approach to problem-solving – into the process of developing a National Advocacy Campaign. The “Beyond Decent” campaign idea will continue to evolve through the research and ideation phases, which will invite the collaboration of interestholders across the career development community in Canada.

We want to hear from you! Join our outreach list to stay informed, share your ideas and be a part of this transformative journey.

To explore the campaign prototypes, learn about the ongoing process for developing a National Advocacy Campaign and see who has been involved, visit our webpage, “A National Advocacy Campaign for Career Development in Canada.”

Have questions? Reach out to CERIC’S Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Sharon Ferriss, at sharon@ceric.ca.

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2023

Explore the 100+ sessions: Program now available for hybrid Cannexus24 conference

The Cannexus24 hybrid program has now been released for both the virtual edition and Ottawa-based in-person version of Canada’s largest Career Development Conference, taking place Jan. 29-31, 2024. The program includes more than 100 sessions which will empower you to drive change and collectively build a brighter future.

Cannexus brings together professionals across the career and workforce development ecosystem to explore research, policy and practice. The Cannexus24 program emphasizes the role of career development in changing individual lives and building a stronger future for Canada. Last year, our in-person conference drew nearly 1,000 delegates and our virtual conferences more than 1,000.

Incredible keynotes will inspire delegates: future of work expert Hamza Khan, Paralympic champion Chantal Petitclerc, University of South Australia’s Dr. Nancy Arthur and award-winning researcher on Indigenous youth Dr. Sean Lessard. Featuring top researchers, practitioners and thought leaders from across Canada and around the world (Candy Ho, Gray Poehnell, Mark Franklin, Sareena Hopkins, Lisa Taylor, Seanna Quressette, Graham Donald, JP Michel, Dave Redekopp, Tricia Berry, Josh Davies, Roberta Borgen (Neault), Mary McMahon, Trina Maher, Sonny Wong, Sarah Delicate, Yvonne Rodney, Deirdre Pickerell, Rich Feller and many more), here is just a sampling of the sessions on offer:

Virtual

  • Embracing Upskilling in an Uncertain Job Market
  • Coaching Clients on Salary Negotiation
  • Evidence-based Outcomes Realized in Broad Community Counselling Service
  • Fork Theory: A Multi-pronged Approach to Support Neurodivergent Networking
  • Advancing Skills Training for Black Youth: A Panel Discussion
  • How Trauma Affects Career Development and Work Life
  • What Gen Z Values and Why It Matters
  • Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence for CDPs!
  • Decolonial Approaches to Career Education: A Conversational Program
  • Growing Pains and Gains in Canada’s Intergenerational Workplaces

In-person

  • Mapping the Canadian Career Development Sector
  • What Indigenous Learners Need from Career Education
  • The Unconscious Conflicts Triggered by Our Clients’ Anxiety
  • Net Zero – Implications for Skills
  • Scaling Career Development in Higher Ed: Creating Faculty Career Champions
  • Building a Neuroinclusive Workforce
  • Meeting SME Talent Needs – Career Planning and Support
  • A JEDI Lens to Career Advice
  • ChatGPT and AI: Unlocking Potential, Amplifying Impact
  • Integration of Career and Mental Health Counselling
  • Essential LinkedIn Strategies for Optimizing Content at Every Career Level

Hybrid sessions act as bridges between the in-person and virtual conference, creating a shared Cannexus experience. In-person attendees also receive access to the virtual platform at the end of the conference. Both in-person and virtual attendees will have access to these recordings for three months.

Delegates can save by registering by the Early Bird deadline of Friday, Nov. 10. The cost during Early Bird is $340 for the virtual and $575 for the in-person conference. Members of groups of 5 or more save a further 25% off Early Bird rates as do members of 37 supporting organizations.

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2023

Report reveals 10 megatrends that will shape work and careers in 2040

A new CERIC-funded report from Creative Futures Studio Inc. sheds light on 10 megatrends that will shape the future of work in Canada. The report, Career Development in 2040, digs into the trends that workers, employers – as well as those who advise them – need to understand to thrive in a labour market facing massive disruption. Based on an extensive literature review of as well as interviews with career development professionals (CDPs) and career services users, the report highlights 10 major trends: 

  1. Work Anywhere  
  2. AI & Automation  
  3. Living with Climate Change  
  4. Geopolitical Conflicts  
  5. Reconciling the Impacts of Colonialism  
  6. Economic Precarity  
  7. Globalization Under Pressure  
  8. Education, Disrupted  
  9. Declining Mental Health & Well-being  
  10. Generational Shifts  

The report also identifies microtrends within each area (32 in total), including the impact of the “green skills revolution” on new jobs creation, greater recognition of the skills of neurodivergent individuals, the increasing popularity of the “learn and earn” model of post-secondary education and how Gen Z’s values-driven approach to work will inform their leadership. 

The purpose of this report is to explore this range of complex changes that may influence career development and career services by 2040, to help CDPs better prepare. Looking forward to 2040, what might be the role of career developers? Will “careers” as they are currently conceptualized exist in the same way, or how might they evolve given current macro-level changes impacting jobs? The year 2040 was selected so that career developers can reasonably anticipate changes over the next 15-20 years and, at the same time, boldly imagine new paths forward. 

As the report outlines, we are living in a time of increased uncertainty. As a result, the needs of employers and workers are complex, uncertain and volatile, and by extension, so is the role of CDPs. Based on the major changes described in this report, careers may look very different in 2040. For example, an older workforce can mean new career services specifically designed for the unique needs of seasoned workers who may require age-related accommodations. Depending on how the 10 major changes in the report evolve over time, CDPs might need a range of new skills in the future, such as expanded digital skills that respond to emerging technologies; enhanced mental health interventions; coaching skills related to climate change and many more.  

For this report, over 600 secondary sources were studied over the course of two months in 2023, including traditional as well as non-traditional publications. Researchers also conducted interviews with career development practitioners from across Canada who were asked to reflect on changes they were observing in the field, and what it could mean for 15 years in the future. “Users” of career development services were also interviewed about their possible careers in 2040 and the types of supports they could need.  

Given the future-oriented focus of this report, it was created using a strategic foresight research approach called horizon scanning. Strategic foresight is a discipline rooted in the academic discipline of futures studies and provides structured and evidence-based methods for understanding our futures. Strategic foresight is not about predicting the future, but instead explores a range of possible futures that could unfold based on changes that can be observed today. Horizon scanning is the approach used to identify these changes, capturing broad social, technological, economic, environmental, political and values-based changes with the potential to impact the future.   

The report is the product of a Request for Proposals that CERIC released last year to explore how the changing nature of work will impact the concept of careers and the role and identity of career developers. Creative Futures was contracted to undertake this research project. Creative Futures Studio Inc., helps organizations to understand and apply strategic foresight and social innovation methods so they can make informed decisions about their future.  

The next phase of this project will translate the megatrends into three possible scenarios and engage CDPs in a deeper exploration of the possible implications of these changes. In doing so, CDPs will collectively identify key skill requirements, and how services may need to evolve by 2040. The results of this work will be available in early 2024. 

Creative Futures co-founders Heather Russek and Jessica Thornton will present their findings at Cannexus, Canada’s Career Development Conference, being held Jan. 29-31, 2024, in Ottawa.    

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2023

Meet CERIC’s Board and Committee Members for 2023/2024

CERIC is delighted to welcome the members of its Board of Directors and Advisory Committees for the upcoming year. The volunteer Board guides CERIC in its mission as a national charitable organization to advance career development in Canada. Award-winning career development leader Candy Ho, returns for her second year as Chair of the Board. 

Reflecting a broad cross-section of leaders, the complete list of Board members for 2023/2024 includes: 

  • Candy Ho, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC (Chair)  
  • Meghan Lavallee, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Winnipeg, MB (Vice-chair)  
  • André Raymond, Laval University, Quebec City, QC (Past Chair)  
  • Sue Watts, Employment + Education Centre (EEC), Brockville, ON (Secretary/Treasurer)  
  • Tony Botelho, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC  
  • Keka DasGupta, Precision Marketing Group Inc, Toronto, ON  
  • Dinuka Gunaratne, Northeastern University, Vancouver, BC 
  • Darlene Hnatchuk, McGill University, Montreal, QC  
  • Valérie Roy, AXTRA, l’Alliance des centres-conseils en emploi, Montreal, QC
  • Rob Shea, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL  
  • Lisa Taylor, Challenge Factory, Toronto, ON  
  • Donald G. Lawson, The Counselling Foundation of Canada, Toronto, ON (Honorary Director – Ex-officio)  
  • Riz Ibrahim, The Counselling Foundation of Canada, Toronto, ON (Executive Officer – Ex-officio)  

Members of CERIC’s three Advisory Committees – Practical & Academic Research; Content & Learning; and Advocacy & Community Engagement – have been appointed by the Board for the next year. Members of these committees play an important role in implementing CERIC’s two strategic mandates: promoting career development as a priority for the public good, and building career development knowledge, mindsets and competencies. 

The focus of CERIC’s work is education and research in career counselling and career development that increases the economic and social well-being of people in Canada. This includes funding projects that produce innovative career development resources. CERIC also annually hosts Cannexus, Canada’s largest bilingual career development conference, publishes the country’s only peer-reviewed journal, Canadian Journal of Career Development, and runs the CareerWise / OrientAction content hubs.  

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2023

Four incredible keynotes to headline Cannexus conference

A bestselling futurist, a Paralympic champion, a renowned career theorist and an award-winning Indigenous researcher will deliver keynotes at the hybrid Cannexus24 conference. Cannexus, Canada’s Career Development Conference, will take place Jan. 29-31, 2024, both online and in Ottawa. The largest bilingual conference in the country focused on innovative approaches in career and workforce development, the conference draws more than 2,000 attendees. 

Attendees at Cannexus24 will hear empowering talks from these four outstanding keynotes: 

Hamza Khan
Future of Work and People-first Leadership Expert | Bestselling Author
Brave New Work: The Change-Friendly Playbook for Navigating Non-Stop Transformation  

Khan is on a mission to help organizations achieve inclusive and sustainable growth by rehumanizing the workplace. He will help attendees navigate a fast-approaching future of work, an always-on “new abnormal” characterized by hybrid work, persistent technological disruption, and constantly shifting behaviours and expectations.  

Chantal Petitclerc
Paralympic Champion | World Record Holder
Sharing My Story 

The epitome of determination, perseverance and discipline, Petticlerc is the most successful wheelchair racer of all time, boasting multiple medals from all three of the world’s top athletic competitions. She uses her own story to illustrate the importance of perseverance, ambitious goals, vision and, especially, dreams.   

Dr. Nancy Arthur
Professor and Dean Research for UniSA Business, University of South Australia and Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary

Business as (Un)usual: Staying on Course During Turbulence and Trends 

Dr. Arthur’s teaching and research has focused on culture-infused career counselling, social justice advocacy, and career development for international students and workers. She will discuss the need for career development services to be proactive in shaping policies and practices in ways that support people to navigate new ways of working.  

Dr. Sean Lessard
Award-winning Professor, Writer and Researcher in Indigenous Youth
Bubbling Up: Empowering Indigenous Youth Through “Radical Advocacy” 

Dr. Lessard is Woodland Cree and is from Montreal Lake Cree Nation in Northern Saskatchewan Treaty 6 territory. In this keynote, he will reflect on his work alongside Indigenous youth both in and outside of schools. He is especially known for his design of graduation coach models, transition/career planning and “school at any place and at any time” approaches.  

Super Saver rates for the virtual conference start at $210 with special $50 rates for students. The in-person rates start at $390. Members of more than 30 supporting organizations receive 25% off of their registration. The 25% discount is also available for groups of 5 or more.  All delegates get access to the virtual recordings after the conference for three months. The Super Saver deadline is Sept. 8. 

Cannexus is presented by CERIC and supported by The Counselling Foundation of Canada and a broad network of partners. For more information on the conference and to register, visit  cannexus.ceric.ca.  

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2023

Announcing Fall Webinars: Indigenous career development, unconscious bias, refugee integration and much more

CERIC, along with its partner associations, will be offering a variety of webinar series in the next few months to support the career development community on a range of timely topics. Take a look at our comprehensive list – and take advantage of the Zoom AI-generated live captions available in multiple languages, including English and French for each webinar series.

Indigenous peoples represent about 5% of the world’s population but make up 15% of the world’s poor. Indigenous peoples are also more likely to face obstacles to workforce entry due to racism, unconscious bias and discrimination. This leaves well-meaning career practitioners at a loss for how to best support their clients.

This free webinar series will provide an opportunity to learn from inspiring Indigenous career professionals from New Zealand and Canada, who will share their journey in the career development field and their perspectives on cultural approaches to Indigenous career development.

As career practitioners, whether in individual or group sessions, we interact with various clients, including those with multiple barriers or diverse needs. These clients or students may require additional strategies and techniques for empowering them and helping them succeed in their careers and educational paths. The Change It Up (CiU) approach, based on decades of research, incorporates the Fab 5 principles: hands-on, learner-centred, holistic, strength-based and trauma-aware.

This free webinar will introduce you to the CiU approach to counselling and teaching and will offer you the opportunity to explore the “how” of working in the field of career counselling.

Career development entrepreneurship, often approached as a solopreneur, can be seen as a seemingly impossible dream. How does one go about launching a private practice? What types of options are available to advisors? What challenges do people face? What are the essential tools and resources for preserving mental health? How do you combine your role as a practitioner with that of an entrepreneur?

The four sessions in this series will serve as a guide to private practice, covering key elements such as the myths and realities of self-employment, effective client recruitment, ethics and obligations, marketing and communications strategies, and essential work tools. This French webinar series aims to prepare and raise awareness among career development professionals who dream of entering private practice.

Despite the growing number of diversity hiring plans across various sectors, jobseekers still have concerns about hiring bias. Moreover, hiring bias has proven to have a negative impact on the well-being and mental health of workers. This creates greater roadblocks to career success, especially for underrepresented groups.

This new webinar series will explore the profound impacts that implicit bias has on job search and worker well-being. It will also provide career development practitioners with the tools and knowledge to strengthen their multicultural competency. Participants will leave the series equipped to effectively advocate for their clients and provide better support throughout their career journeys.

Many individuals who seek career counselling services experience psychological distress, particularly in relation to decision-making difficulties. Their fears, doubts, stress and sometimes anxiety tend to block their ability to mobilize and make choices. Faced with this, the professionals whose role it is to help them may themselves feel powerless, lacking concrete, effective tools to mobilize and support their clients.

The Acceptance and Commitment Approach (ACT) is a scientifically rigorous, evidence-based approach with proven effectiveness. This approach offers concrete interventions that career counsellors can apply both to their clients – to guide and support them in achieving their life and career goals – and to themselves, to take care of their role as counsellors and overcome the challenges specific to our practice, particularly with difficult clients.

Note that OCCOQ recognizes the full series for 3 hours of credits.

The number of refugees admitted in Canada (and specifically Quebec) is set to increase over the next few years. To effectively support their social and professional integration, it’s crucial for career practitioners to grasp the actual circumstances of these individuals. Unfortunately, counsellors often encounter challenges, as prevailing research in this domain primarily focuses on skilled immigrants, leaving a gap in understanding for other groups.

In response, this free French webinar aims to equip career professionals to work with refugees, offering practical tools and an intervention guide for individual and group counselling.

CERIC’s webinars are now hosted via the Zoom events platform to provide more interactive learning and networking opportunities. Participants will have access to a lobby where they can interact with other participants before, between and after the sessions, as well as many interaction options during the live webinars. An FAQ answers any technical questions. Paid webinars will be recorded and individual certificates of attendance will be provided to all registered participants who attend the webinars live.

CERIC partners with associations and organizations across Canada and beyond to present webinars that offer affordable professional development. Previously, CERIC has also worked with the Association of Service Providers for Employability and Career Training BC, BC Career Development AssociationCanadian Association of Career Educators and Employers, Canadian Association for Supported Employment, Career Development Association of Alberta, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, Career Professionals of Canada, Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning CanadaExperiential and Work-Integrated Learning OntarioFirst WorkLabour Market Information CouncilNew Brunswick Career Development AssociationNova Scotia Career Development AssociationOntario Association of Career Management, Ontario School Counsellors’ Association, Vocational Rehabilitation Association (Canada), and the US-based National Career Development Association.

 

 

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2023

CERIC re-opens its innovative graduate program to foster career development excellence

CERIC has recently re-opened the applications for its highly anticipated Graduate Student Engagement Program (GSEP) to equip members with advanced knowledge and skills in career development practices. The GSEP is designed to empower participants with the expertise required to excel in their graduate studies and careers while positively impacting the field.

Through a dynamic and comprehensive package of opportunities, participants can engage in interactive learning experiences, gain insights from industry experts, and build a strong network of like-minded professionals.

Open to full-time graduate students enrolled in a Canadian university seeking to advance their careers in the field of career development, the GSEP creates unique opportunities:

Enrollment for the Graduate Student Engagement Program is now open. Secure your spot and embark on a transformative journey in career development excellence before October 19, 2023. Visit the GSEP page for more information and application details.

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2023

Registration now open for Cannexus24, Canada’s Career Development Conference

Cannexus24, Canada’s largest bilingual career development conference, is now open for registration with Super Saver rates available until Sept. 8. The Cannexus24 conference will take place from January 29-31, 2024, both virtually and in Ottawa, Canada. Whatever the format, Cannexus24 will leave you feeling empowered to enact change and to build our future together through career development. More than 2,000 professionals combined attended the last hybrid Cannexus.  

As a delegate, you can choose to Experience Cannexus Your Way.” The virtual and in-person portions have largely separate programs but shared keynotes and main stage sessions for all delegates to interact. In both experiences, you can expect an impactful gathering where you will explore innovative approaches in career and workforce development, and connect with peers from across Canada and around the world. 

Super Saver rates for the virtual conference start at $210 with special $50 rates for students. The in-person rates start at $390. Members of more than 30 supporting organizations receive 25% off either virtual or in-person registration. The 25% discount is also available for groups of 5 or more.  All delegates get access to the virtual recordings after the conference for three months. 

This year two pre-conference workshops will be offered in Ottawa to enrich the conference experience. Strengthening Practice Through Career Theories and Models: New & Creative Approaches is based on the forthcoming sequel to the popular Career Theories and Models at Work book and will be delivered by co-authors Dr. Nancy Arthur, Dr. Roberta Borgen (Neault) and Dr. Mary McMahon. Cannexus will also present the powerful Indigenous Blanket Exercise, which explores the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. 

Bursaries are available to support career development professionals in attending the virtual portion of Cannexus. The Marilyn Van Norman Bursary will be awarded to 13 community-based career development or employment practitioners, one from each province and territory. The Young Professionals Bursary will go to 12 individuals aged 30 or younger and engaged with career development or employment work. Preference goes to individuals from equity-deserving groups. The application deadline for bursaries is September 29, 2023 

Additional information is available on: 

  • Discounted hotels near the Shaw Centre where Cannexus is hosted 
  • Reduced fares to travel to Ottawa by plane or train 
  • The conference schedule (full program to be posted by October 4) 
  • Opportunities to become a Cannexus partner or exhibitor (note last year’s in-person Exhibitor Showcase sold out) 
  • Testimonials from past attendees about the conference 

Cannexus is presented by CERIC and supported by The Counselling Foundation of Canada and a broad network of partners. For more information on the conference and to register, visit  cannexus.ceric.ca. 

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